月 (yuè) — month; moon
HSK 1 | noun | a calendar month; also the word for the moon
月 (yuè)
The word for both "month" and "moon"; months in Chinese are numbered (一月 = January, 十二月 = December), so knowing 月 plus numbers 1–12 gives you all twelve months automatically.
Meanings
- [noun] Month (calendar month: 一月 through 十二月).
- [noun] Moon (the celestial body; also in compounds like 月亮, moonlight).
Example Sentences
我的生日是三月十五号。 Wǒ de shēngrì shì Sān yuè shíwǔ hào. My birthday is March 15th.
这个月我很忙。 Zhège yuè wǒ hěn máng. I am very busy this month.
月亮真漂亮！ Yuèliang zhēn piàoliang! The moon is so beautiful!
你每个月存多少钱？ Nǐ měi gè yuè cún duōshao qián? How much money do you save each month?
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 这个月 (zhège yuè) | this month |
| 上个月 (shàng gè yuè) | last month |
| 下个月 (xià gè yuè) | next month |
| 每个月 (měi gè yuè) | every month |
| 月亮 (yuèliang) | the moon |
| 几月 (jǐ yuè) | which month |
Memory Hook
月 looks like a crescent moon with two strokes inside — the original pictograph of the moon's curved shape. One character for both moon and month, because a month was once measured by one full moon cycle.